


That's a Wrap

by wordsareleftbehind (froggydarren)



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Amber Riley mention, Chord Overstreet mention, Cory Monteith reference, Glee Wrap Day, Kevin McHale mention, Lea Michele mention, M/M, RIB mention, gratuitous pop culture references because i'm a dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 15:57:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3416717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froggydarren/pseuds/wordsareleftbehind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That's it, they're done. The last scene is filmed and everyone is leaving the studio, so why does Darren feel like there's something he's forgotten?</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's a Wrap

"That's it, guys, that's a wrap!"

There are a few moments of silence around the room, and Darren swears he can hear people's heartbeats. Then a quiet gasp on one side of the room is followed by a sob from the other, and the two snap everyone else out of the daze. A second later the noise in the room is a mix of cheers, pats on the back, whoops, sobs, laughter, and chatter that is mostly "good job" or "I'll miss you."

Darren joins in with all of it, hugs everyone he can get his arms around and grins when he spots everyone clutching their hands around the hats Chris gave out earlier. He signs a few more yearbooks that he didn't get to before, lets Chord and Amber scribble stupid stuff on his arm with the leftover pink Sharpie. One by one people leave the room and the hallways, the crew packing up what needs to be packed up immediately and then the rooms grow quiet.

He walks around the lot, peeks into the rooms one last time and snaps a few pictures before he heads for the trailer. Lea is on his steps, a frame at her side, and Darren immediately knows what it is without seeing it.

"I had to," she says quietly, and Darren nods.

"Do you need it caught on camera for the memory?"

She nods, and then adds, "I can't leave without him, it's not right."

"Come on," Darren holds out his hand to her, "I'll do it."

She walks down the alley slowly as he takes the photo, and Darren's eyes water when he watches the jersey's number bright despite the dim lights. Then she's out and as he watches her tail lights go through the front gate, it feels like a goodbye.

"Go home, Criss," a voice from behind his back makes him jump, and Darren turns to see Ian grin, Ryan and Brad by his sides.

"Why is it always you three?" Darren says with resignation, but he smiles at them.

"Don't go quoting your old project at us," Brad tells him as they take turns hugging him. "Come on, you're the resident photographer." He hands his phone to Darren, and they tell him what shot they want.

Darren can't stop the chuckle when they're at the end of the alleyway, the sight an echo of a shot of the Harry Potter trio from the movies. When the picture is done, they head for the offices and Darren heads back towards the stages. He'd already picked out the mementos from wardrobe, the Warbler tie from the tour has had a special place in the house for years, ever since he left the blazer behind, and Andrea promised to have one of the blazers delivered soon. He has a bowtie or two, an empty jar of hair gel, and most importantly, the small black box from barely over a year ago.

"Hey Darren, good luck with everything!"

"Hey, see you in New York!"

"Break a leg, Hedwig!"

"Dude, you better bring it when your solo record finally makes it!"

He nods to reply to all of those as he wanders through the halls, hugs a few more people on the way to… well, he's not sure where exactly he's going to, just that he's not sure he has done all he needed to, not yet. And then he's at the entrance to the auditorium stage, though he couldn't tell anyone how he got there. Kevin passes by and smirks, says something about seeing Darren later -- there's still stuff they'll be doing for the show, but it feels like a different life already.

The seats are empty, and there's a piano on the stage, covered with empty bottles that are waiting for the cleaning crew due on Sunday. But Darren's eyes catch on the figure slumped on the stage floor. Chris, curled up on himself like Darren hasn't seen him in a long time, an echo of times that weren't pretty, times that Darren definitely doesn't want to relive. He walks closer, and when he spots a familiar object in Chris' hands, he can't help but smile.

_Courage_ , it says, letters ripped out from magazines and glued together into a picture from a long time ago. He's almost expecting to see the atrocious preppy portrait that used to hang above the sign, and he's sort of relieved it's not there.

Chris doesn't react when Darren walks over, he doesn't look up or flinch when Darren sits down by his side. For a little while neither of them says a word, Chris' eyes turned down to the sign in his hands that he's twirling in his fingers.

"You, scarecrow," Darren says eventually, his voice quiet and a little shaky, "I'm gonna miss _you_ most of all."

He feels Chris shudder and then gulp down, and then their eyes meet as Chris finally lifts his head. A smile tugs on Darren's lips, and he's about to lift a hand to wipe the one unruly tear that's running down Chris' cheek when Chris grins at him instead.

"Well, I'm never saying goodbye to _you_ ," Chris says, and Darren gasps, then they both break into laughter, the courage and Kurt and Blaine references too cheesy to be taken seriously.

"Oh screw you," Chris manages to say after a while, his body still shaking with laughter.

"You're the one with the Klaine reference," Darren shrugs and wipes his eyes, his tears not only from the laughing anymore.

"Like the Oz reference was accidental," Chris tells him, and he glances at the sign in his hands.

"It actually was," Darren grins. "Trust you to jump from scarecrow to the cowardly lion."

"Well, I figured you didn't think it's a brain that I need."

"Hell no, if you had another one, the world would be in danger."

"Come on, Pinky," Chris smirks then, and he starts getting up, "it's time to take over the world!"

Darren bursts out into chuckles again, but he lets Chris pull him up. They fall into easy banter then as they head to their trailers to grab the last few things. They'll get a chance to come back for whatever they forgot, but when they stand at the alley where Darren took Lea's and their bosses' pictures earlier, it feels like that's it.

"Ready for this?" Darren asks, feeling like he's about to jump off a cliff.

"I am if you are," Chris replies, and when Darren looks at him, there's a smile that shatters all doubts.

"Together?"

When Darren asks, it's more than about walking down the alley and towards the gate. It's more than just leaving the sets that were their home for years. Chris nods, reaches for Darren's hand, and he links their fingers.

"Together."

There's one last photo taken that night, one more shot of two figures walking through the alley, holding hands as they step into the parking lot, their cars next to each other as usual. Darren and Chris don't know about it until later, when both their phones beep with a message from Kevin -- it's only a smiley emoticon followed by a heart with the photo attached to it.


End file.
